Poland Second place – A little black dress

A little black dress

– What do you need it for? – Jenny was bored because the man was trying way too much. She didn’t ask that disgusting man to do an interview with her.

– I just want something new to dress on by the end of the school year.

– So how much do you need, my dear? – he asked, embracing her with his shoulder

– I think that 60 pounds will be enough – while saying it, she felt victorious and confident, even though this transaction, as she used to call it, didn’t finished yet.

– Where do you want to do it?

– Well..- she said, putting his hand off her shoulder and caressing it in her own hand – Do you have your car?- Yeah, no problem honey, just come with me.

It was something more than just getting money, it was like a drug for her those extraordinary emotions which she couldn’t really experience on her daily basis – feeling victorious, desired, and even if she were into it forever, there could be always something unexpected. She didn’t want to lead her life as her mother – working from 9 to 5 o’clock, coming back home and arguing with her husband over some simple and stupid things. She wanted to feel free, independent. How did she wanted to do it?

That man leaded her through the parking lot but the surrounding didn’t scare her since she was used to it. It was over in a few minutes. She was feeling much better, because she achieved her goals.

While she was walking down the street to meet her best friend Katy, she caught herself thinking a bit about that guy. When she realized that, she was trying to stop thinking about that by looking at this new dress that she had bought already. It’s only for her pleasure.

When she got to the café where Katy had told her to come, she noticed her immediately, sitting in the corner, counting her money on the table. She came closer, sat down and embraced her.

– I can see you’ve been doing quite well.

Katy smiled as a reply and felt relieved by the presence of her friend. She treated Jenny as her role model, since she has shown her own world to Katy. The world of pleasure and a quick way of getting money.

– Do you have some plans for tonight?

– Yes, actually I’m going to meet another guy, because I need money for those new shoes, but we can meet tomorrow, right?

– Sure! Don’t worry.

They kept on talking, laughing over “those stupid old guys” and when the time has come for Katy to go on this meeting, Jenny wished her good luck and they went out. She was feeling proud on her way back home. She was feeling proud of herself and Katy, because she knew that because of her, Katy’s life wasn’t so boring as the lives of other teenagers. When she got home, she heard her mother weeping and her father screaming at her, so she locked herself up in her room. After a while, she went out to her mother who was sitting and crying on the floor in the living room.

– It’s over. It’s finally over. – said her mother

– What’s over? Are you going to divorce?

– Hopefully. I’m going to the lawyer tomorrow. Anyway, don’t worry honey, we will be alright. How are you?

– Fine mum – she smiled but when she wanted to go away her mother asked:

– Honey, where do you have this new dress from?

– Katy has borrowed it to me for the ball at the end of the year. Doesn’t it look pretty?

– Of course my child.

She came back to her room, she fell down on her bed in her new, fancy dress, took out the money and started counting them.

The ringtone of her phone has woken her up around 3 a.m. She woke up and answered the phone:

– Jenny? Are you there – said a woman

– Yes, that’s…that’s me actually

– This is mother of Katy, she told me she was going out with you at 5 p.m and she hasn’t come back yet, are you with her?

She felt that a fit of shivers went down her spine.

– Jenny are you there? She’s not replying my phone, I don’t know what to do!

– Yes… I mean, no, she’s not here, maybe the battery in her phone has died.

– But had she told you where she is going? What was she wanted to do?

– No…not really… I just remember that she was going to some party? I mean, with our friends, from our class

– Alright…Jenny, you will tell me when she will contact you, won’t you? – her desperate voice was making Jenny even more nervous

– Don’t worry I will call you.

– Okay, thank you, bye.

Jenny sat down on her bed, feeling numb but she tried to call Katy two times. The next morning she woke up lately, it was 12 o’clock already. She heard a TV going on in the living room and her mother talking on the phone. She went out of the room

– Yes.. I can’t believe it, I’m watching it right now… I know Clarice, I just don’t have words to describe it, not at all

When Jenny heard these words, she ran to the living room to watch the information on the TV.

-… found on the bank of the river nearby, a young teenage girl was naked, with only writing on her chest saying : “whore”

Jenny couldn’t feel more shocked when she recognized the face of her friend in the body.

– Honey, don’t worry, it’s going to be alright – said her mother, not really aware of what she was saying.

– It could have been me – she started, telling her mother about the last evening with Katy, that she knew exactly where she was going and that they’ve been doing it for a long time. She didn’t look at her mother at all, while saying it. When she stopped she felt that she just needed to say it aloud.

Her mother didn’t know what to say. She went to her room and a few hours later, she went to the toilet to find her daughter lying in the bathtub in the puddle of blood. She came towards her, not able to realize that is the reality. She felt that her life, in one day became a disaster.

She wanted this nightmare to turn out as her most precious dream. She went up to her room, put some fancy shoes on and the most sensual, red dress, she went out to the department store An elegant man walked to her, stopped, impressed by her look and said:

-Good evening, which one would you like to have?

She looked at him with this lustful smile and replied with a bit of hesitation:
– That little black dress.